Hypodermic syringe and needle destroyer

ABSTRACT

A hypodermic syringe destroyer utilizing a pair of jaws pivotally secured to each other which, when closed upon each other, puncture the syringe and deform the hypodermic needle. The syringe is punctured by a puncture blade forcing the syringe against a V-shaped support member while the hypodermic needle is supported in a slot and is bent by a needle-bending plate overlapping the slot.

nrte States Patent 13,585,835

[72] Inventor Clyde ll. Clement 2,740,410 4/1956 Harris 83/607 8439 N. 13th Place, Phoenix, Ariz. 85020 3,267,716 8/ 1966 Hales 72/384 [21] Appl. No. 731,446 3,367,223 2/1968 Caraisco et al. 83/925 [22] Filed May 23, 1968 3,404,593 10/1968 Arcarese et al... 83/925 [45] Patented June 22, 1971 3,469,750 9/ 1969 Vanderbeck 83/925 FOREIGN PATENTS [54] HYPODERMIC SYRINGE AND NEEDLE 942,083 1 H1963 Great Britain 83/589 DESTROYER 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

52 115. C1. 72/330, 72/326, 83/167, 83 589, 83/660, 83/923, 83/925 51 1111.0 ..B2ld 28/00, B21d 31/02, B2ld 43/28, 826d 5 10. 826d 7/00 50 Field of Search 72 325,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 42,004 3/1864 Lamplugh 72/384 7/ 1952 Graham 83/923 Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham Assistant Examiner-E. M. Combs At1arney-Drummond, Cahill & Phillips ABSTRACT: A hypodermic syringe destroyer utilizing a pair of jaws pivotally secured to each other which, when closed upon each other, puncture the syringe and deform the hypodermic needle. The syringe is punctured by a puncture blade forcing the syringe against a V-shaped support member while the hypodermic needle is supported in a slot and is bent by a needle-bending plate overlapping the slot.

PATENTEDJUNZZIBYI 3585.835

"III-I" CLYDE H. CLEMENT ATTORNEYS INVENTOR.

HYPODERMIC SYRINGE AND NEEDLE DESTROYER The present invention pertains to syringe destroyers and, more particularly, to devices for destroying both a hypodermic syringe and the needle forming a part thereof.

The advent of the utilization of disposable hypodermic syringes has given rise to problems concerning the disposability of these devices. It is frequently discovered that hypodermic syringes are removed from disposal containers and fall into the hands of children. These syringes frequently contain a residue of substances which are harmful, and the needles are frequently contaminated such that contact with the syringe may cause the spread of contagious disease or induce infection. Further, in some circumstances, hypodermic syringes fall into the hands of drug users.

lt is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device that will destroy hypodermic syringes.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device that will destroy the cylinder of a hypodermic syringe as well as the hypodermic needle in a single operation.

it is still another object of the present invention to provide a hypodermic syringe destroyer that will render useless all important elements of a hypodermic syringe in one operation.

These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description thereof proceeds.

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a pair of jaws are pivotally secured to each other so that they may be moved upon each other. One of the jaw members forms a baseand includes upstanding walls or plates for supporting the cylinder of a hypodennic syringe and the hypodermic needle extending therefrom. The opposite jaw member is provided with bending plates which overlap the needle supporting slots. The upper jaw member is also provided with a depending puncture knife which engages the cylinder of the syringe and punctures the latter as the jaw members are closed upon each other.

The present invention may more readily be described by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hypodermic syringe and needle destroyer constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of HO. 1 taken along line 2-2.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a portion of F l6. 1 useful in describing the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the bottom jaw member of FIG. 1 showing a hypodermic syringe in place.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of H6. 1 taken along line 5-5 and showing a hypodermic syringe in place after it has been destroyed.

Referring now to the drawings, the hypodermic syringe and needle destroyer of the present invention includes jaw members and 11 pivotally connected to each other by a pin 12 so that the jaw members may be moved toward and away from each other. Jaw member 10 forms a base and includes plates 13, 14 and extending perpendicularly upwardly therefrom. Plates 13 and 14 may be formed of the same sheet of steel as the base 10; the plates 13 and 15 each contain V-shaped slots 17 and 18 respectively for receiving the cylinder 20 of a hypodermic syringe 25. The plate 14 includes a slot 27 for receiving the hypodermic needle 28 of the syringe when the latter is supported in the V-shaped slots 17 and 18.

The needle-bending plate 30 depends perpendicularly from the jaw member 11 and is positioned to overlap the slot 17 as the jaw members 10 and 11 are closed upon each other. The space between the plates 30 and 14, when the jaw members are closed upon each other, should preferably be the thickness of standard hypodermic needles; however, it has been found that substantial variation from this interplate distance may be tolerated since sufficient end play is provided by the pivot pin 12 such that slight lateral movement between jaw members 10 and 11 compensates for this interplate variation.

A puncture blade is secured to and depends perpendicularly from jaw member 11. The blade 35 is positioned relative to the V-shaped slot 18 so that the blade tip 36 will engage the cylinder 20 of the hypodermic syringe 25 at approximately a point directly above the apex 37 of the V-shaped slot 18 so that the cylinder does not roll while being punctured. Further,

the blade 35 is positioned relative to the plate 15 so that the principal forces exerted by the blade 35 are delivered to the base jaw member 10 through the plate 15. A coil spring 40 is mounted on the jaw member 11 and surrounds the blade 35 with the axis of the coil substantially parallel to the axis of the blade 35. A second needle-supporting slot 45 is provided in the plate 13; a pair of needle-destroying plates 46 and 47 (the former formed by the depending lip of the jaw 11) are secured to the jaw 11 and are positioned to straddle the slot 45 when the jaw members 10 and 11 are closed upon each other.

In operation, a hypodermic syringe 25 is placed in the V- shaped slots 17 and 18 with the needle 28 thereof extending through the slot 17. The jaw member 11 is subsequently pivoted downwardly, thereby. closing the jaw members upon each other. The spring 40 engages the cylinder 20 of the hypodermic syringe 25, forcing the latter into firm engagement with the V-shaped slot 18 in the support plate 15. Continued downward movement of the jaw member 11 compresses the coil spring 40 and forces the blade 35 into the cylinder 20 while simultaneously causing the needle-bending plate 30 to overlap the slot 17, causing the the needle 28 to be partially bent. When the jaw 11 is raised, the coil spring 40 urges the impaled syringe cylinder 20 off the blade. The syringe cylinder has thus been rendered unuseful and unrepairable. While it has been customary to simply insert the needle between two surfaces and manually bend the needle, needles destroyed" by such techniques have been repairable and reusable. In contrast, the needle 28, having been bent into such a sharp radius as caused by the above-described operation, effectively closes the channel within the needle, and attempts to straighten the needle cannot open the channel without breaking the needle.

in some instances, the hypodermic syringe cylinder 25 is constructed of a frangible material which, unlike the most common plastic materials, will break or shatter, leaving dangerous splinters if broken. Further, in some instances, only the nose portions 50 of the hypodermic syringe as well as the needle 28 are disposable. Under these circumstances, the needle is effectively destroyed by giving it a U-shaped crimp. Crimping of the needle is effected by inserting the needle in the slot 45 and closing the jaw members 10 and 11 upon each other in a manner previously described. The needle-destroying plates 46 and 47 straddling the slot 45 completely flatten the needle and effectively destroy it. It may be noted that the required collapsing of the internal channel of the needle is effected by a sharp bend and that the sharp bend is very difficult to accomplish manually. For this reason, the double needle destroyer plates 46 and 47 are utilized since only a single plate would require careful manipulation by the operator supporting the other end of the needle.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications may be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. It is therefore intended that the present invention be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

lclaim:

1. A hypodermic syringe and needle destroyer comprising: first and second jaw members pivotally secured to each other to permit said members to pivotally close upon each other; said first jaw member having a support plate extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom toward said second jaw member, said support plate having a V-shaped notch therein for supporting a hypodermic syringe; a puncture blade extending substantially perpendicularly from said second jaw member and positioned on said second jaw member to puncture a hypodermic syringe cylinder supported by said support plate when said jaw members are closed upon each other; a coiled spring mounted on and extending from said second jaw member in surrounding relation to said puncture blade; one of 3. The combination set forth in claim 1 including a second needle support plate extending perpendicularly from one of said jaw members and having a slot therein to receive a hypodermic needle, a pair of needle-deforming plates extending perpendicularly from the other of said jaw members and positioned to straddle said second needle support plate and overlap said slot when said jaw members are closed upon each other.

4. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein said spring is a coil spring mounted over said puncture blade with the axis of the coil substantially parallel to the blade. 

1. A hypodermic syringe and needle destroyer comprising: first and second jaw members pivotally secured to each other to permit said members to pivotally close upon each other; said first jaw member having a support plate extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom toward said second jaw member, said support plate having a V-shaped notch therein for supporting a hypodermic syringe; a puncture blade extending substantially perpendicularly from said second jaw member and positioned on said second jaw member to puncture a hypodermic syringe cylinder supported by said support plate when said jaw members are closed upon each other; a coiled spring mounted on and extending from said second jaw member in surrounding relation to said puncture blade; one of said jaw members having a needle support plate extending substantially perpendicularly therefrom, said needle support plate having a slot therein positioned for receiving the hypodermic needle of a hypodermic syringe supported by said support plate; a needle-bending plate extending substantially perpendicular from the other of said jaw members, said needlebending plate positioned to overlap the slot in said needle support plate when said jaw members are closed upon each other.
 2. The combination set forth in claim 1 including a spring supported adjacent said puncture blade for urging a punctured syringe cylinder off said puncture blade.
 3. The combination set forth in claim 1 including a second needle support plate extending perpendicularly from one of said jaw members and having a slot therein to receive a hypodermic needle, a pair of needle-deforming plates extending perpendicularly from the other of said jaw members and positioned to straddle said second needle support plate and overlap said slot when said jaw members are closed upon each other.
 4. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein said spring is a coil spring mounted over said puncture blade with the axis of the coil substantially parallel to the blade. 